Dickey's Barbecue Pit

By Jerry Ireland
4811 Pan American Freeway NE, Albuquerque, NM
Menu at: dickeys.com

The Food (taste/flavor/quality of food & drinks)
>>>>= a favorite, can count on it being good every time

The Atmosphere (environment, wait staff, comfortableness)
xxx= good but could be improved

Price (what to generally expect to pay per person per entree)
$$ = $10

Value (what you get for your money)
** = okay - overpriced for quality/taste

When I was eating at Dickey's Barbecue Pit in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I kept thinking about the line in Pulp Fiction, "It's the little differences. I mean, they got the same sh** over there that they got here, but it's just – it's just there it's a little different."

The reason: I used to frequent the original Dickey's in Dallas, Texas and it has always been one of my favorite barbeque joints. While the Albuquerque version has the same good food, some of its differences threw me a bit. But that’s what happens when you turn an original into a franchise, you loose a little of the charm and quality.

One of the things I like about the Dallas version is it is a down home cafeteria style restaurant. You get in line, get your food and get to business. In Albuquerque, it is a sit down restaurant. Also the motif of the restaurant was different. The Dallas Dickey's is essentially a dive and the Albuquerque smokehouse seemed like a cross between a TGIFriday's and the original. It lacked none of the dive quality that gives the original its charm. Now, I know this is a positive for some people, but I prefer the simplicity of the cafeteria and not having to wait for my food and refills on my drink.

In Albuquerque you have a more expansive menu. You can get starters like hot wings and nachos, several types of sandwiches (chicken hoagie, hamburgers, and ham and cheese) that you won't find at the original because a true Texas smokehouse would be embarrassed to carry these items. Also, the salad choices are much more diverse compared to the original. Again, some people may find this to be a positive, but to make room, they removed one of my favorite sides from the menu. The original has outstanding green beans, and that used to be a staple of my Dickey's experience. But when I ate in Albuquerque there were no green beans. This must be changed.

One thing that remained the same is the excellent barbecue. I ordered the beef brisket and sausage plate. The brisket perfectly melts in your mouth, which is how I like it. The sausage explodes with taste. The sauce is a bit sweet with a little tang too it. Of all the excellent Texas barbeque sauces, Dickey's sauce remains my favorite.

I tried the onion strings, which are essentially thin stringy onion rings and I liked them. I also had the Caesar salad and it is more than serviceable but nothing to write home about.

One other difference is the price. The Albuquerque smokehouse's prices were a couple of dollars extra. I assume that is because of the restaurant style seating.

These differences took away from my enjoyment of one of my favorite restaurants, but I would say that the Albuquerque restaurant is a cousin of one of the best BBQ restaurants in Texas and that makes it among the best in Albuquerque.

Tony Caputo’s Market and Deli

By Jerry Ireland

314 W. 300 South, Salt Lake City, UT
menu at: caputosdeli.com

The Food (taste/flavor/quality of food & drinks)
>>>>>= always great, unique, and flavorful no matter where you’re from

The Atmosphere (environment, wait staff, comfortableness)
xxxx= comfortable

Price (what to generally expect to pay per person per entree)
$                    under $10

Value (what you get for your money)
***** = superb -lots of quality/taste for what you pay

Salt Lake City doesn’t readily come to mind when thinking about the nation’s best spots for sandwiches. But with places like Tony Caputo’s Market and Deli, Gandolfo’s NY Deli, and Legers, sandwiches could be Salt Lake’s signature food. At the top of the sandwich game is Caputo’s downtown at the corner of 300 West and 300 South.

Boasting distinctive Italian and southern European food, Caputo’s delivers with fresh food and a family atmosphere. Tony Caputo maybe the friendliest restaurant owner I have ever met. He makes an effort to get to know most of his customers, which is no small task since there are usually lines out the door during lunch hour. Many of the Caputo clan takes part in running the business, giving it a home away from home feel. It seems harder and harder to find that feeling in restaurants these days and that’s probably a part of why Caputo’s keeps people coming back for more.

The Wednesday Special is what draws me in on most visits. Each day of the week offers a different pasta dish and Wednesday is lasagna. Several fresh batches are made by hand and it is easily the best in the city. The pasta melts in your mouth. It’s served with a green salad and a roll. The pasta specials price out at $8.45 and worth every penny.

The menu includes, sandwiches, soups, salads and deserts. My sandwich is the Caputo ($6.45).  It has prosciutto, mortadella, salami, provolone, lettuce, and tomatoesand is served on a hard Italian roll covered with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. What makes this great is the freshness and high quality of each and every ingredient. Both the oil and vinegar are sold at the Caputo’s Market if you are looking to add some of these fantastic flavors for your own cooking. I am not alone in my love for the Caputo as it was named the third best sandwich in America by FHM magazine.

There are 11 other sandwich choices including The Meatball, The Prosciutto, The Italian Cold Cut, Feta and Tomato, and The Cheese Lover. I’d recommend opting for any one of these on focaccia, as it’s my favorite bread in the whole city. Sandwiches run between $6.25 and $7.45 depending on your selection.

Freshness is also the key to Caputo’s salads, which use a base of virgin olive oil, and balsamic or red wine vinegar.  Whether it is using greens, pastas, or vegetables, all the salad choices are made to order and excellent. A Salt Lake favorite is the Vanocur Salad ($7.45) named after a local news reporter. It’s made of seasonal fresh greens with feta, green olives, tomatoes, croutons, pepperoncini topped with balsamic vinaigrette and a roll.

Desserts include New York Cheesecake ($3.50), Tiramisu ($3.50), Chocolate Cake ($5), and Cannoli ($2.75). My fav: the cannoli. It tastes like it is straight from Italy and should not be passed up.

The marketplace that is connected to the restaurant has the largest selection of Italian foods in Utah and is a Godsend for people from back East or anyone that appreciates top notch gourmet foods.

Overall Caputo’s is, in my opinion, THE best place to grab a quick lunch in the entire state of Utah. I used to go there every week when I lived in Salt Lake. Now when I visit, I make sure to plan my stay so that I can grab a Wednesday lasagna special. Caputo’s is a place that I must stop and you should too.